If you sell consumable products, odds are that your customers will eventually run out of them. When this happens, how do you let them know that it’s time to restock?
Replenishment emails are an effective way of reminding customers to reorder. More of a gentle nudge than a sales pitch, these timely reminders don’t just increase revenue, but show customers that you’re looking out for them.
In this article, we’ll discuss the advantages of using replenishment emails, show you how to identify the right time to tell customers that they’re running low, and determine the best metrics to monitor performance.
What are replenishment emails?
A replenishment email is an email sent to existing customers, encouraging them to reorder consumable products when they’re running low.
Let’s say a customer orders a bag of dog food from your ecommerce store. You send an automated email to them just before they’re likely to run out, reminding them to buy again and providing an easy way to make a purchase.
Why send replenishment emails?
Whether you sell pet food, perfume, or paper towels, here are some of the reasons why replenishment emails should be a major part of your email marketing strategy.
Engage existing customers
It’s far easier to sell to an existing customer than it is to sell to someone who has never bought from you before.
Replenishment campaigns encourage people who have bought from you before to buy from you again, providing an effective way to drive sales.
Generate recurring revenue
Replenishment emails help turn one-off purchases into recurring revenue by reminding customers it’s time to restock.
You can also use replenishment emails to sell additional, related products, further increasing revenue.
Provide a unique selling point
When you sell similar products to other brands, sending replenishment emails differentiates you from the competition.
By being proactive and providing an easy solution to your customers’ problems, you’re giving them a reason to keep buying from your business, encouraging brand loyalty.
How to create replenishment email campaigns
The best way to send replenishment emails to customers is by using automation. Email automation is when you send email messages automatically based on specific triggers—in the case of replenishment, when a customer last bought a specific product.
Email automation saves time and resources as you don’t have to send replenishment emails to individual customers manually. Plus, you can send the right emails to the right customers at the right time, maximizing sales.
Most email marketing platforms, including Mailchimp, offer automated messages as standard. Connect your ecommerce platform, set a trigger based on when a product was last purchased, and create your email.
Best practices for sending replenishment emails
There’s an art to sending replenishment emails that generate recurring revenue. A poorly designed, impersonal message sent at the wrong time may end up hindering your business more than it helps.
Here are our expert tips for creating replenishment campaigns that increase repeat purchases.
Determine the right timeframe
Choosing the right timeframe for sending your replenishment emails is vital. Send an email too soon, and customers may ignore it. Send an email too late, and a customer may have already bought the product, or even worse, a competitor may have gotten there before you.
It’s easier to determine the right timeframe for some consumable products than others. For example, a 30-day supply of vitamins will last a month, give or take. However, other products, like a bottle of perfume or a case of non-alcoholic beer, will be trickier to gauge.
In this situation, use your data points. Look at the days between the first and last purchases to determine the average customer order frequency and review this number regularly to make sure you’re always up-to-date.
You can also personalize the experience with predictive models. This is when you analyze customer data and send emails based on each customer’s unique purchase cycle.
Send ahead of time
When sending replenishment campaigns, it’s best to send them before a customer has used or consumed the product entirely. This means a customer can order a product in good time, with no pressure.
We recommend reminding customers once a product is 70% consumed. With a 30-day supply of vitamins, schedule replenishment emails to go out at the 21-day mark. This provides plenty of time for your product to be ordered, dispatched, and shipped.
Create an engaging subject line
Your subject line is the first thing customers see, and it encourages them to read the main body of your replenishment email.
Here’s what to consider when crafting subject lines for your replenishment campaigns:
- Use personalization: Use a customer’s name or mention the product to grab their attention.
- Inspire a sense of urgency: Using the fear of missing out encourages customers to take action right away.
- Mention the benefits: Highlight how reordering will save time and point out that they don’t have to go to the store.
- Make it obvious: While an air of mystery can work for some subject lines, with a replenishment email, it’s best to be direct and to the point.
Try different types of subject lines and see which leads to the highest open rates.
Don’t forget that you can use your preview text to provide additional information to customers, too.
Make the process easy
Customers should be able to reorder from your website in just a few clicks. If they struggle to find the purchase link in your email, or your website takes too long to load, they’re going to give up.
Consider the entire customer journey, from replenishment email to checkout, to ensure a quick, frictionless process:
- Provide a clear call to action (CTA) in your email.
- Add an image of the relevant product so customers know what they’re reordering.
- Ensure your website loads quickly and is mobile-friendly.
- Use the customer’s existing data to speed up the checkout process.
- Send an email confirming the transaction.
Offer incentives
Some customers may be reluctant to reorder through replenishment emails, particularly if they’re new to your brand or want to shop around to see if they can get a better offer.
Providing an incentive, like free shipping, additional loyalty points, or a limited-time discount, encourages them to buy right away.
This can also lead to an increase in loyal customers, as you’re offering something special that your competitors aren’t.
Of course, it’s important to use incentives carefully. Offering discounts too frequently may diminish the value of your brand or encourage customers to wait for the lowest price before reordering.
Consider upsell and cross-sell opportunities
Replenishment emails are a good opportunity to sell additional products to existing customers through cross-selling and upselling.
A cross-sell is when you suggest products that complement the item a customer is renewing. For example, if you’re selling dog food, you can recommend treats, toys, or supplements.
An upsell is when you suggest a more expensive version or upgraded version of a product. For example, if you’re selling dog food, you can upsell a more premium version or a larger size.
Personalization and customer data are essential for selling successfully. Understand your customer’s unique order history and recommend products that they’re most likely to buy.
Track metrics
Regularly monitoring how your replenishment campaigns perform means you can make small changes that lead to more revenue.
Some of the metrics to track include:
- Open rate: A high open rate shows that customers are engaging with your subject line.
- Click-through rate: A high click-through rate shows that customers enjoy your email content.
- Conversion rate: A high conversion rate shows that your emails make customers want to reorder from your business.
- Average order value: A high average order value shows that any upsells and cross-sells in your emails are working.
A good way to see which elements of your replenishment campaigns drive the best results is to run A/B testing. Create 2 similar emails with a key variable (for example, a different CTA) and see which customers prefer.
Simplify your replenishment campaigns with Mailchimp
Reminding customers to stock up on their favorite products is an easy way to increase revenue and provide a personalized service.
Mailchimp makes sending exceptional replenishment campaigns a breeze. Connect your ecommerce platform and import your data securely, save time by automating the process from start to finish, and design stunning emails in just a few clicks.
You’re just a step away from increasing repeat purchases across your business.